Chapter Nineteen
‘Was Derek really miffed?’ I asked as I climbed into Father’s car.
‘Just a bit,’ Antony said.
‘Do you think we can find Father and end all this?’
I wrung my hands together as I imagined what Nick would do to the one man that knew what I was going through. My guardian.
‘I hate to say it but I think it’s only just begun.’ Antony patted my thigh and my cheeks grew warm as the memory of our kiss flashed into my mind.
‘I was afraid of that,’ I said, looking out of the window at the passing traffic. The motorway made my teeth go on edge.
‘It will be okay in the end.’ Antony took my hand.
I looked down to see that the car was automatic. He didn’t need his hand to change gear. I squeezed his fingers and enjoyed the calm that settled over me.
‘Do you think this is it?’ His words were quiet as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Us…?’ he said as he glanced at me and smiled wickedly.
His dimples appeared and I flushed with an emotion so powerful, I shivered. I had been in love with him since the moment I had met him. The connection was too strong to ignore now but I didn’t know how much more in love with him I could fall.
The love before this had been tormented and painful. Now it felt like nothing I had ever experienced.
‘Yes, I think we’re harmonising.’
His eyes left the road again to look at me. He swallowed and his arm muscles tensed.
‘It’s okay,’ I said, laughing when he shook his head.
‘I’m sorry but the last few months have been torture. I didn’t want a relationship when I met you. Sure, I thought you were attractive but I was busy with my job. It didn’t seem right to want you.’
It was my turn to swallow. ‘You wanted me?’
A gentle laugh escaped him as he looked into the rear-view mirror.
His hand left my thigh in a rush. He gripped the steering wheel and wrenched it to the right.
‘What’s happening?’ I cried as we were thrown about.
The car sped into the fast lane. I had to cover my eyes. Antony was a brilliant driver but there was an articulated lorry ahead.
‘Someone’s following us. I don’t like the look of them. They were about to ram us,’ Antony almost shouted.
Uncovering my eyes, I looked behind us. A big car was on our tail and it was coming closer.
‘Do you think it’s Nick?’
Our car swerved across the road again. I yelped when my shoulder crashed into the door. He could have warned me that he was going to swerve. I didn’t moan. He was concentrating and I didn’t want to upset him.
‘Probably. Who else would it be?’
I took another look to try and get a clue but the windows in the other car were blacked out.
‘Can we lose them?’
I wanted to help but there was nothing I could do.
‘Hold on!’ Antony cried as he sped out of the fast lane and straight through the others.
I gripped the dashboard as hard as I could. He drove straight towards the exit. There were two separate exits right next to each other. He cut in front of a lorry. I screamed as the lorry blew its horn. He sped straight onto the first exit with just inches to spare. The other car got stuck on the other side of the lorry.
I sighed as we escaped down the exit and out of sight.
‘That was mad,’ I said as I tried to get my breathing back to normal.
My heartbeat tripped all over the place and my nerves were shot.
‘I’m sorry.’ Antony put his foot on the accelerator.
‘Don’t be sorry, you did what you had to do.’
He took my hand and pulled it to his lips. He kissed it as I placed my other hand over my heart. It was beating for an entirely different reason now.
‘I know you’re super sensitive, though. That couldn’t have helped.’
I let him keep hold of my hand. He entwined his fingers with mine and rested them on his lap.
‘How do you know that about me?’
His cheeks glowed slightly as he pulled off the motorway. ‘Firstly, I noticed that you go all tense when we’re around a lot of people. You also react differently to anyone I’ve ever known. You get crazy defensive, although you seem to be a little better with that now.’
My heart expanded even more. He had taken notice of who I was and accepted me anyway.
‘You do know that you have a lifetime of stroppiness, defensiveness and complexity ahead, don’t you? Do you think you can handle it?’
I grinned. The adrenaline of the chase still pumped through my veins but it had turned into a warm fuzzy feeling.
‘I have no idea,’ he replied, keeping hold of my hand when I tried to pull away to playfully hit him. ‘Before we even start to think about that adventure, we need to get your father back.’
The smile dropped from my face. It was like a slap on the cheek and the warm feeling turned cold.
‘Yes. Will it take long to get back to the others from here?’
He felt the energy shift and squeezed my hand. How had I switched from terror, to love and then back to dread, in the space of a few minutes? I laughed suddenly. Antony frowned.
‘Are you okay?’
I wanted to reach out and straighten his furrowed brow. Instead I sat back and closed my eyes.
‘I’m fine. I’m just allowing my emotions to come up.’
He tutted. The sound sent prickles of annoyance down my arms. I tried to pull my hand out of his grip but he wouldn’t let go. Nothing was said but it was obvious. He wasn’t going to let me run. He knew me well enough to know when to stay and just be with me. The thought sent a wave of warmth over me but a tiny bubble of dread made my stomach gurgle. Could I really let anyone in? Even Antony?
‘We’re almost there.’
‘Thank you,’ I whispered.
He had given me space to calm my emotions. No one had ever done that, not even my siblings.
‘You know what?’ he said as the car came to a stop.
‘What?’ I answered as I opened my eyes. We were parked a few streets away from my home in Clapham.
‘This has been a wild ride and I’m glad it’s not over.’
His lips caught mine as he leant over. I welcomed the contact. The kiss was short and sweet but it sent a thrill straight through me. He pulled away and winked as he got out of the car.
‘I must admit, I’ll be glad when it’s over.’ I laughed as he opened the passenger door and helped me out.
‘I don’t know. I think you could do with a wild ride every now and then.’ He laughed as he put his arm around my shoulders and guided me home.